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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26545522">SCP 118: The Genius</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Rick/pseuds/Tiny_Rick'>Tiny_Rick</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV), SCP Foundation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Found Family, Gen, If you comment I’ll love you forever and give you a free kitten, M/M, SCP, SCP AU, SCP Foundation - Freeform, Sorry if this is stupid but I'm having fun with it, Spencer is an SCP, Unstable powers, but if anything ever happened to him theyd kill everyone in the room then themselves, criminal minds - Freeform, the team has only had spencer for a day and a half</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:34:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,934</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26545522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Rick/pseuds/Tiny_Rick</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Underground and off the grid from any prying eyes lives a secret foundation of those who catalog and contain anomalies. While some are so dangerous, their release could mean the end of all humanity-- other's are prisoners. Who are captured because they're different and subjected to inhumane torment.</p><p>Just an SCP au where Derek finds a mysterious boy outside his apartment, who quickly proves to have supernatural abilities. I love Criminal Minds and I love the SCP foundation stuff, so I hope you enjoy this story I worked really hard on it! It was originally a part of my Derek/Spencer drabble series but took on a life of it's own! Please enjoy and comment to let me know if you like it, what you think and if you'd like to read more!</p><p>No knowledge of the SCP community is ed for this, everything you need to know is reiterated in the fic!!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Mama, I’ll be there as soon as I can… I know I’m on my way.” Derek laughed, walking down a city street with a bag of groceries on his arm. His umbrella shielded him from the rain which was beginning to look like snow. Garcia was on the phone talking about the movie she had been dying to watch with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t keep me waiting, it’s not often we get time off.” Her voice echoed out of the phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just glad…” Derek trailed off when he saw a group of three people standing in a circle, they seemed to be arguing with each other. Normally he’d ignore something like this, but he heard one of them shouting, just loud enough to hear his angry tone, but not enough to make out what he was saying. “I’ll call you back in a second. Garcia.” Morgan told her, and hung up before she could ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, hey? Is everything okay over here?” Derek asked, none of the men had an umbrella in the rain and they all had a matching white jacket. As soon as they heard Derek’s voice one of them turned around quickly and gave him the biggest and most polite smile he could. He had a name plate on his lab coat with the name ‘MILLER’ in all caps.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh goodness, no. So sorry to concern you.” The man began, something about his disposition seemed off. “We’re looking for our… friend.” He decided on the wording. “And we seemed to have misunderstood where we planned to meet up, is all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Derek wasn’t what else he could say. It sounded innocent enough, but they were shouting at ten at night in the pouring rain and snow. “Well… just making sure. Take care, man.” He gave a short wave and made his way down the road again, this time a little quicker. Halfway down he glanced over his shoulder and saw the men, just staring at him, making sure he left. Morgan kept himself from visibly reacting and kept on to Penelope’s house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So they had late night plans, like us, I don’t get the big deal.” penelope was wrestling with her DVD player as Derek sat on the couch. He’d opened a beer but didn’t really feel like drinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was just weird, Garcia. They were all standing in the rain like they had just rushed out there and they were in these matching jackets… and that one guy was yelling at the other two but then he seemed so polite to me… too polite, it was creepy.” Morgan insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe they're a cult and that’s their charismatic leader.” She offered. And Morgan rolled his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m serious.” He insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So am I.” Penelope countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They said they were looking for their friend.” Morgan recalled, thinking carefully. “I don’t know… something about it really seemed off. Would you wander the streets in the freezing rain looking for a friend? Why wouldn’t they just call him?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“So they’re weirdos, who cares?” She asked, making Derek laugh a bit and shrug, opting to ignore it for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It stopped raining, but it looks like you were right, we’re getting a lot of snow.” Garcia glanced out the window. “You sure you wanna walk home?” She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m literally right up the street.” Morgan reminded, able to see his apartment from Penelope’s complex. “I’d stay the night but I didn’t put out any extra food for the night for Clooney.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I know it’s a short walk but it’s snowy, text me when you get home.” Garcia insisted, giving him a hug and sending him on his way. Derek waved from the street and began walking, he was lucky he decided to leave before the snow really started sticking. It seemed like in less than an hour they’d get a lot of cumulation. Morgan stopped walking when he made it to the same spot he’d seen the group of men earlier, glancing down at footprints barely showing in the snow. But it had only started snowing an hour ago, how long were those men there? Morgan shook his head and kept walking, making it to his apartment complex. He began fiddling with the key to the main door when he heard clambering in the alleyway next to him. Derek ignored it, assuming it was a stray or raccoon, like the usual city dwellers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Morgan froze when he heard a small “ouch” come from the alleyway. He whipped around and gasped when he saw a pair of eyes duck away out of sight. “Hello?” Derek called softly. He heard a quiet gasp and them shuffling all the way to the back of the alley. Definitely not a raccoon. “Is somebody back there? Are you alright?” he asked. Morgan messed with his phone for a second to turn on the flashlight, and aimed it up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he did the figure in the beam of light panicked. It was a man, he couldn’t have been older than kid really, and he was in dirty, torn up blue hospital scrubs with a patch on it, and he had no shoes on. His appearance was awful, the kid was clearly freezing, his brown hair was dirty and matted up, and it looked like a chunk had been cut off with a knife in one place. Other than that is was too long. He was covered in dirt and what looked like spots of blood, and his eyes were huge and terrified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-p-please… N-n-no please…” he managed to force out, and then continued to try and climb the brick wall to get away. He panicked more when it proved to be unsuccessful, his fingers tearing and bleeding as he clawed at the brick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Hey stop that! You’re hurting yourself!” Derek called, and began running over to him. The dirty mystery kid tried to flatten himself against the wall as Derek came closer. “It… it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” Morgan promised, trying to get close enough to read the patch on his shirt. Thinking the poor thing was some sort of escaped mental patient. But all the patch said was ‘SCP-118’ with a small symbol he’d never seen before. “Are you lost?” Derek asked, and he shook his head ‘no’. Margan nodded, at least now he knew he could understand him. “Are… are you cold?” Morgan tried, and the boy didn’t respond, but his shivering was clear. “Come on, it’s so cold out here, you don’t even have shoes. Come with me, I’ll take you inside, you can get cleaned up and you’ll be warm. That’s gotta sound nice.” Morgan nearly begged, worried for the younger man’s well being.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… don’t… don’t take me back.” He forced out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t go anywhere you don’t want to, just come on, please. You’ll freeze to death out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, feel better?” Derek asked, giving the younger man a fluffy blanket. His hair was wet from the shower and he looked a lot better without blood and dirt covering his face. Derek took this time to examine him closely, he had big hazel eyes with dark rings around them. He was pale too, like he’d never been outside before. And he had bruises all up and down his arms. “Do you have a name?” Morgan asked. This made the younger man freeze and look up at him cautiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trick?” He mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your name is trick?” Morgan asked. And then it clicked. “Oh! Trick. No I’m not tricking you, I wanna know your name.” He continued. The kid thought for a second and then pointed to the patch on his shirt and shook his head. “So that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>your name?” Derek asked, and the kid nodded. Then without warning he ripped the patch off and threw it across the room, harshly, like it was hurting him. “That’s okay! You don’t have to wear it. Here, how about I get you some warm clothes that aren’t all ripped and dirty?” Morgan asked. Even after the bath he was still freezing. Morgan left for a minute and then came back with sweatpants, warm socks, a t-shirt and a big sweater. “Can you get dressed by yourself?” Derek asked, and he nodded, before trying to take his shirt off. “Woah, not out here.” Morgan quickly put his hands over the younger man’s. He tilted his head confused and Derek shook his head. “You can’t just get naked in… look just go in there.” He pointed to his bedroom and the kid started off without any questions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as he was gone Derek sighed and slumped into his chair, what the hell was going on. He rubbed his eyes until he heard soft footsteps padding out of his room. Derek sat up when he saw the mystery kid come back into the living room. “Everything oka-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer.” He cut him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Morgan asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer.” He repeated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is… is that your name?” Derek asked. And Spencer nodded. Morgan smiled at the progress. “Nice to meet you Spencer.” he smiled and put his hand out, but Spencer shrieked and leapt back, falling to the floor and backing away from Derek’s outstretched hand. “I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to scare you, it’s okay.” He soothed. And Spencer walked forward slowly. Derek moved his hand away but Spencer reached forward and took it. He just stared at his hand for a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are you from?” Derek asked gently. Spencer kept looking at his hand, he was now lining it up with his own and looking at the differences.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Below.” Was all Spencer said. Derek looked at the dark circles under his eyes and the way his lithe body shook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” Morgan said, putting a blanket over his shoulders. “You should get some sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You just found him in an alley?” Penelope asked, looking down at the sleeping figure on the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something is way off about him. He wouldn’t say his name and he was all alone… he was in these weird clothes and they had this- wait I still have it.” Derek turned around and picked up the patch where Spencer had thrown it. “Does this mean anything to you?” He asked. Penelope took the patch and looked at it confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish it did.” She admitted. Derek sighed and sat down in the easy chair across from the couch, looking at Spencer sleep. “And he just passed out after all of that?” Garcia asked, and Derek nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He didn’t seem confused by it. I don’t even know where he's from or-” Derek stopped when Spencer began to stir. Garcia took a step back but still watched close as his big hazel eyes opened, and blinked a few times, it seemed like he was processing what was around him. “Hey buddy.” Derek greeted. “Glad you’re awake, how are you feeling?” He asked. Spencer looked like he was about to answer, but all the sudden tensed up when his eyes landed on Garcia. “Its okay! She’s a friend.” Morgan assured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s not here to bring me back?” Spencer asked in a whisper. Garcia gave Derek a confused look, and Derek shook his head at the younger man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we don’t even know where you’re from.” Morgan chuckled a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Below.” Spencer repeated. And Garcia looked even more puzzled than before. Spencer sat up on the couch and studied Garcia closely, before tilting his head from side to side, like he was trying to observe her from each angle. “Yes.” Was all he said, and his shoulders visibly relaxed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Garcia’s really nice, she’s my best friend.” Derek agreed. “She works with my team, and helps find people in places that are bad or dangerous.” He explained. Garcia sat down next to Spencer and put on the voice one would use for frightened children.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wanna tell me a little bit about where you’re from? Derek said you didn’t wanna go back, is that cause somebody hurt you?” She asked. And Spencer nodded. “Is that the person who gave you those bruises?” She asked, pointing to his arms. They looked awful, like not only was he hit, but injected with something over and over again. And there were slices on his arms, but done neatly, like they were charted. And they weren’t in a place that Spencer could have done it to himself, so it was obvious somebody else was the cause.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer just looked at her, like he was unsure of what to say. Finally he spoke up. “Gala says they’re side effects.” He told her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s Gala?” Morgan asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In charge.” Spencer responded. “Like the rest of the white coats… in charge.” Once he said this Morgan froze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Garcia, what if this has to do with those guys I saw last night?” He asked, but the minute he said it he knew he shouldn’t have, because Spencer panicked. He leapt from the couch and put his hands out, backing into a corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re here!? Here?! No! They’re here to find me! To bring me back!” He started screaming and Morgan hushed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh, hey relax, nobody’s gonna be able to get to you here.” He promised. “Does… does the name Miller mean anything to you?” Morgan asked, recalling the name plate he’d seen on the man’s white coat. The second the name left his mouth Spencer started shaking. “Oh! Oh shit, I didn’t mean to scare you I-” Derek cut off with a gasp when Spencer lurched forward, his shaking intensifying. And then he saw his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gone were the pretty hazel eyes, instead they were two round orbs of solid bright blue. “He’s a bad man.” Spencer spoke. And blue goo began dripping from his eyes. “HE’S BAD MAN!” Spencer screamed, he sized up and his hair began floating, like there was no gravity in the room. “He makes me do things… equations… I build things… he says I’m the smartest… I’m the most dangerous… I can help him… he makes me hurt people…” Spencer’s voice was eerily calm and quiet. “I remember everything… things I wasn’t there for…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Garcia backed into the corner of the room and Derek was about to follow. But then Spencer looked up at him, the two blue orbs still lighting up, leaking that goo. But then Derek realized, those were his tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” He spoke, his voice cracking pitifully. Derek walked towards him, Garcia whispering for him to be careful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know you didn’t.” He started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not bad!” Spencer insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you aren’t, it’s not your fault… we’re gonna help you.” he promised, and put a hand on his shoulder, watching the blue in his eyes fade away and the hazel reappear. After it was over Spencer unintentionally slumped against him, passing out. Like he was drained and exhausted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morgan… what </span>
  <em>
    <span>is he?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Penelope asked, stepping forward. Morgan just stared at the boy in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I have no idea.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sorry this chapter is a little short! I hope you enjoy it though! Please let me know what you think!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Morgan sat in his arm chair across from the couch for a while, just staring at Spencer’s sleeping form. He finally sighed and got up, opting to make a cup of coffee. Garcia had left a few moments ago, promising to figure out as much as she could and coming back to help. Morgan fiddled with the patch in his hands, looking down at the mysterious symbol and number. He shook his head and pocketed it, pouring a cup of coffee and turning to get the cream and sugar. When he turned back around Spencer was up and across the room, staring at the coffee pot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, you scared me.” Morgan laughed, and the boy looked up at him and then back down at the coffee. “Smells good, right? Do you want some?” He asked, and Spencer immediately looked up shocked. Derek didn’t wait for him to answer, he poured him a cup and handed it over. Spencer took a tentative sip before making a face. “It’s kind of bitter without cream and sugar, but I only like a little bit.” He explained, passing it over to Spencer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made quick work of staring at the items and putting the cream in his coffee. His face got a look of wonder as he saw the surreal way the cream swirled around in the dark liquid. He then scooped up some sugar and put it in, taking another sip. And the way his eyes lit up made Derek want to burst out laughing. Spencer started scooping more and more sugar into the cup before Morgan finally intervened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, pretty boy, have some coffee with your sugar.” He laughed, earning a sideways glance from the mysterious boy. Spencer took a sip and his eyes grew large, taking another and another. “You like coffee, huh?” Morgan asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two sat down on the couch, Spencer sipping his drink, until Derek decided it was time to bring up the episode that had happened earlier. “So… Spencer, you got a little upset earlier. What exactly was that?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Spencer asked, and Morgan was happy he’d gotten a full sentence out of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did some pretty… remarkable things… you made some things float, and you said you knew those men I saw.” He explained, and Spencer tensed up. “It’s alright, I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you, but I need to know.” He told him. Spencer raised his gaze shakily, and nodded. “Good, you’re doing so good.” Morgan tried to encourage, but he could tell he was getting more and more petrified with each passing second. “Why are you running from them?” Morgan asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer swallowed hard and rolled the sleeves of the hoodie Morgan had given him up to show his arms. The horrible scars and bruises still littered them. “Did they do other things to you?” Morgan asked, and Spencer nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are others… like me…” Spencer whispered. They stared at each other for a moment before a knock on the door made Spencer jump. Morgan noted the fear in Spencer’s eyes when whoever was there knocked a second time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, it’s probably Garcia.” Morgan promised, making his way over to the dor and checking through the peephole. But his blood ran cold when he saw the same man from two nights ago standing outside his door, he was sans his lab coat and had a determined look in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Morgan looked over when he felt Spencer’ gently tug on his sleeve and give a scared look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it her?” He whispered, so so quiet. And Morgan shook his head, earning a petrified look from Spencer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay just… come here.” Morgan whispered as well. He led Spencer down the hall to a closet and put him in, closing the door all but a crack. “I’ll come get you in a minute, just stay quiet, okay?” He assured. And Spencer nodded, putting both hands over his mouth to keep in his scared whimpers, and Derek’s heart ached at the sight. He closed the door all the way and locked it, just in case. Then went over to the front door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The minute he opened it, Miller began talking. “Hello sir, good morning.” He gave that same creepily kind and polite smile. And Garcia was right, he did seem like a cult leader.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can I help you?” Morgan asked, pretending not to recognize him. He had a feeling Miller knew he was pretending, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My name is Dr. Miller, I work for a research team here in Quantico and I’ve received word that you may have seen something my team and I are looking for. A research tool we’ve seemed to have… misplaced.” He decided on the words very carefully, not giving away too much information, but somehow still frightening Morgan with his much he knew. And he kept eyeing Morgan. And Derek felt scared, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>Morgan was hiding something. “Agent Morgan,” He continued, and Derek stifled a gasp. This man knew his name </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>profession. And he said it so bluntly, he wanted Morgan to know he could get any information he wanted, whenever he wanted it. “Does this mean anything to you?” He produced a patch with the same symbol as the one on Spencer’s clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t say it does.” Morgan told him. And Miller pocketed the patch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Agent Morgan, as a special agent of the FBI I’m sure you understand the pressing concern of national security.” He started, and Morgan kept his gaze hard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course Dr. Miller. I’d be a fool not to.” He added. Miller looked at him for a moment more before handing him a business card.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if you discover anything of interest, don’t hesitate to call me.” He insisted. And Morgan took the card.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You bet.” He assured. The doctor nodded and turned away, before saying one last thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And agent Morgan, do be careful. Because whoever may have stumbled upon our… research tool… may not know the danger they're getting themselves into.” He gave one last curt nod, and walked down the complex stairs. Morgan closed the door, waited until he heard the entrance doors click shut, then moved back into the apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Derek quickly unlocked the closet door and yanked it open, making Spencer jump and cover his mouth harder, keeping in a scream. “It’s okay! It’s okay, it’s just me.” Morgan promised. Spencer looked up at him and Derek kept in a gasp, his eyes were glowing blue again and his tears were also big blue and glowing. The circuit board he was hiding next to was sparking and going haywire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He was here! He was here, he knows where I am!” Spencer cried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, he left, I won’t let him get you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t KNOW THAT!” Spencer cried, and a wave of what felt like electric energy threw Morgan backwards. He hit the far wall then fell to the floor. Spencer was curled into a ball with his hands over his ears, rocking back and forth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, you have to calm down or people are going to notice you!” Derek pleaded, but it was like Spencer couldn’t hear him. The circuit board sparked again and exploded, plunging the room into darkness as the power cut out. Morgan looked up and noticed the boy was glowing all over, and cracks were spreading in the drywall. But what made Morgan panic was when he saw blood running from Spencer’s eyes and nose. “Spencer, stop please!” He cried, running over to him, he didn’t think before throwing his arms around the younger man and holding him as tight as possible. Spencer whined and fought against the touch for a while, but Morgan knew he couldn’t let him go until he calmed down. He found himself not caring about the damage to his apartment, but the idea of him hurting himself was terrifying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally after a few moments, Spencer stopped fighting, and he fell limp in Derek’s arms. His entire body was still shaking, so Morgan hushed him and rubbed his arms soothingly. “He’s here… he’s coming after me he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>here.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Spencer mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know, but he’s not going to get you, I promise.” Derek swore. “Spencer, do you know how he knew you were here?” He asked, and the younger man nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miller knows everything. He has people who help him in every department of your government. He makes sure nobody knows about us.” Spencer opened up, whispering and looking over his shoulder, like he thought Miller was there. “I’ll never get away from him…” He whispered and Derek shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you’ll be okay, I promise. I know people who can help you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morgan… you can’t be serious.” Aaron stepped between the group and the door, like he was trying to keep the team safe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know how it sounds but you have to believe me… there’s something going on here and this kid is part of it.” Derek insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If some kind of top agent is looking for this kid, we have to bring him back.” Gideon started. “He already tracked down your apartment, who knows what they’ll do to get him back.” He continued. Spencer jumped in his seat and his eyes got wide. One of Derek’s new friends seemed to sense his distress and she smiled at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi… Spencer, was it?” She asked, and the younger man didn’t respond. “My name is JJ, I work with your friend, Derek. I’ve known him for a while.” She began, and Spencer met her eye line, before glancing over at Gideon and tensing up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s going to bring me back.” Spencer accused, and JJ shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, no. We’re not bringing you anywhere, you see, we work for the FBI-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>THEM?!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Spencer shrieked and leapt up from his chair, backing into a corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, who?” Derek started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miller! One of </span>
  <em>
    <span>his!</span>
  </em>
  <span> One of his… </span>
  <em>
    <span>eyes! Everywhere!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Morgan began to get concerned now that Spencer was getting worked up, but he stopped when he saw a look of horror cross Gideon’s face when Spencer said that name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Derek, let me see that patch you said he had.” Gideon quickly demanded, and Morgan fished it out of his pocket, tossing it over to him. The minute he saw the symbol and number he visibly paled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer…” He whispered, closing his fist around the patch and getting up. He took two long strides before being in front of the young man, who cowered a bit. But Gideon leaned forward and grabbed Spencer in his arms, holding him tight. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>you! Spencer my… my little boy! I thought I’d never see you again, I thought all this time it was hopeless I thought they’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed </span>
  </em>
  <span>you! But… you’re here!” He hugged him impossibly tight and the rest of the team stared in shock. Spencer pulled his head back a little bit, narrowing his eyes at Gideon, like clouds were clearing up in his brain. And he was remembering something he’d repressed, or was made to repress, for so so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Dad?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I hope you guys like the story so far! See what happened to Spencer when he was a child in this chapter! Please let me know if you like it!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“...Dad?” Spencer’s eyes narrowed as he wiggled from Gideon’s grasp, and he looked at him skeptically for a moment. Gideon just stayed there, with his arms outstretched, wanting to hold his lost son again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s me. It’s me, Spencer.” He promised. “I’ve missed you so much-” But at hearing this comment Spencer wiggled further away and backed off, pulling Derek by the arm and positioning himself behind the man he’d decided was going to protect him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, no, no… that’s wrong.” Spencer muttered. “You… you </span>
  <em>
    <span>gave </span>
  </em>
  <span>me to them… they said you didn’t want a </span>
  <em>
    <span>freak!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He seemed to be getting upset, Derek felt his hands trembling a bit as he gripped his shirt tighter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, Spencer that’s not true.” Gideon begged. But he didn’t seem surprised by this, in fact he seemed like he expected that reaction. “They took you away, you were only five and you were having these… these episodes, things would start floating and you were getting stronger. I knew if people found out they’d take you away, so I hid you, for as long as I could. But they found you and took you and… Spencer I never stopped looking, we never gave up.” He promised, and something about that story must have seemed familiar to Spencer, because he let go of Derek’s arm and took a step forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said to keep quiet… that you’d make them go away.” Spencer spoke, and then gasped when a sudden surge or memories and feelings came flooding back to him. It was all so overwhelming. But it was true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a closet, under the stairs. He remembered dad picking him up and putting him in there. “Keep quiet Spencer, I’ll make them go away, just stay hidden here.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Then the door closed and there was shouting from upstairs. “We don’t know what you’re talking about! There’s nobody else here!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Scanners locked onto his signature,” A voice Spencer couldn’t recognize. “You’re in danger if you keep him here, he’s not your son, he’s a monster.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get out of MY HOUSE!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer… Spencer are you okay?” Spencer shook himself when the memory stopped and realized there were tears falling down his face, and his eyes were glowing blue again. “Hey, it’s alright.” Morgan spoke up in a gentle tone, and Spencer eyes flickered over to Gideon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Dad!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He cried out and practically launched himself across the small space between them, latching onto the older man and holding him as tight as he could. Gideon closed his eyes and tears were now running down his face. “Dad…” He mumbled again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here, I’m here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gideon… how long have you been keeping this a secret from us?” JJ asked, as the group sat around Derek’s kitchen table. As soon as Spencer had detached himself from his father, Gideon had quickly and quietly told everyone to leave. Morgan had called Garcia at Jason’s request, he asked anyone who was aware of this situation to be present, and Morgan didn’t question it. “And why did we have to leave the bullpen, it’s always been safe before-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not safe from </span>
  <em>
    <span>them. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nowhere is.” Gideon stressed, and Spencer flinched at the truth of the statement. “And I wasn’t keeping it a secret from you… it was just too dangerous to talk about it out loud.” He explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So your trips to your cabin in the woods, your private conferences, when you would disappear and we wouldn’t be able to get a hold of you for days at time?” Aaron asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There were times I thought I’d found leads on where they were keeping him… but if they knew they’d move him and send scouts out to stop me. I had to look for him in secret, it was the only way I’d have any chance of seeing my son again.” Gideon explained and Spencer looked away, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. But he looked up when he noticed the group at the table was staring at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He told us he was from below.” Garcia recalled, and Spencer noticeably flinched, so Derek put a comforting hand on his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s an organization.” Gideon began, once he was sure Spencer was okay. “They call themselves the SCP Foundation, they track down and collect anomalies… things that aren’t of this world, or possess powers that… I don’t even know the extent it goes to.” Jason rubbed his eyes. “They keep them contained and cataloged, to keep them away from the public eye. They have ways of tracking their activity, and they won’t stop unless every single one is contained and subdued.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we just have to get these assholes off our back and he’ll be safe.” Morgan insisted, feeling a surge of protectiveness over the younger man who’d just been dropped into his life. “Shut down the whole damn organization is we have to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Gideon then spoke, getting a grave look on his face. “There are others… not just Spencer.” His face seemed to pale and the team saw something they rarely saw in the older man. Not just fear, but terror. “I’ve been there… to one of their bases underground… I thought it was where they were keeping Spencer but there are sublevels that go lower and lower… not all of these creatures are like him, there are ones nothing like Spencer, ones that enjoy torment. And they can sense each other. I saw horrible creatures there, </span>
  <em>
    <span>things </span>
  </em>
  <span>that could manipulate reality and had strength unlike anything in this world… There was somebody there, I thought he was a man but he turned around and… he had no face. As soon as I saw that he began to shift, I heard bones cracking and he… he turned into </span>
  <em>
    <span>me.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gideon spoke, and Spencer began shaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“SCP 992. The shifter. It was dangerous… it escaped once. A creature known to take the form of all it sees, adjusting it’s body and physical capabilities to accommodate any environment. It’s biology is made up of microbes that change constant form and material, leaving no discernible autopsy report. It’s impervious to physical attacks. They had to use me to hold it in place, but I couldn't hold it for long.” He mumbled, and everybody turned to look at him. He sounded like he was reading from a book, but he just remembered the entire catalog in perfect detail. The capabilities of his brain were scary, even without his powers. Then Spencer continued. “We were given numbers… and put into a category… the Keters were too dangerous to experiment on… most of us were Euclid… we were there to experiment on.” Spencer’s voice got lower and lower, and when he heard this Gideon had to turn away. That was his </span>
  <em>
    <span>son </span>
  </em>
  <span>they experimented on. He didn’t even know the awful things that were done to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So some of these things are dangerous, so what?” Derek asked, growing frustrated. “They still kidnapped your son, they still </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt </span>
  </em>
  <span>Spencer!” He exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So we’ll hide him again! You managed to hide him and he managed to escape.” JJ started. “And with all of us working together we could keep him safe from them.” She tried. At hearing this Spencer gave her such a confused look, like he couldn’t believe she’d offer to do this for him. JJ noticed his look and reached across the table, gently laying her hand over his, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I can’t let you do that.” Spencer whispered, backing away. “He’s dangerous… </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>dangerous! You don’t understand! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>helped them!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Spencer began to tear up as he looked at all these people, these </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind </span>
  </em>
  <span>people who offered to help him. They didn’t know, they had to know how evil he was. He didn’t deserve their help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, whatever you did when you were captive-” Gideon started, but his son flinched away from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hurt people…” He mumbled. “They… they kept hurting me. And pushing me. I told them I couldn’t control it! I told them to stop! They didn’t listen!” Spencer backed away, he was leaving burnt footprints in Morgan’s carpet, like his body was made of fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, calm down.” Derek started. “Tell us what happened. Nobody blames you for any of this.” He comforted, and took a step forward to put his hands on Spencer’s shoulders. Gideon was about to interject, remembering his son didn’t react well to physical contact. But to his shock, Derek put his hands on Spencer’s shoulders and the little anomaly relaxed. His shoulders dropped and he almost seemed… okay?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There were experiments… and tests…” Spencer whispered. “On my brain and body. I’d wear a-a helmet.” He tried, almost like he didn’t know the word. “I’d solve equations in this room… everything was such a bright white. I’d get it wrong and they’d shock me and I-I-I couldn’t control how I’d react! So they’d take me for more surgeries…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Surgeries?” JJ asked, and Spencer nodded, showing his arms where there were incision marks carefully plotted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tests on my blood… organ tissue.” He pulled his shirt up to reveal a horrible scar across his stomach. “They liked to keep me awake… ask me what I was feeling…” On hearing this Gideon looked away. “They could never figure out what made me not human… so the testing kept going, but only on my head… my mind. I can sense the others…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The other anomalies?” Aaron asked, and Spencer nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’d take me to these chambers, where it would be so dark and I couldn’t hear anything… and I’d have to locate them… sometimes they could sense me too, I don’t know how they did it but when we were in that mindscape they could attack me, I was never strong enough to get away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said they made you hurt people… what did they make you do?” Gideon asked, and Spencer’s face scrunched up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-people would break into the base… anomalies would escape… foundation personnel would try to leave… I’m sorry!” He cried, putting his head in his hands. “I was so easy to control… the times I would refuse it was just a matter of scarring or hurting me enough to make- make me-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To make your powers surge. And then everyone around you would get hurt.” Gideon realized, and Spencer burst into tears, throwing his arms around Derek. Morgan was a bit shocked by this, but returned the hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever happened to you… it’s over now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gideon sat awake, staring out at the room of people. Each member of the team had decided to stay at Derek’s, and they were all camping out in the living room. Gideon had warned them that now they’d made contact, Miller likely had already found them, as a leader Hotch decided that in case of an ambush they should remain in a group. Including Derek, who even though had his own bed, stayed awake on the living room floor until he saw Spencer fall asleep on the couch. “Morgan, are you awake?” Gideon whispered, quietly, and the younger man sat up silently as to not wake the others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” He murmured. It was quiet for another minute and Derek leaned his head back. “Am I losing my mind?” He asked, and heard Gideon sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After Spencer was born… I thought I was going crazy.” He started, then rubbed his eyes. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>accused </span>
  </em>
  <span>my wife of going crazy. She kept saying Spencer wasn’t human, I came home with medication for postpartum depression and she lost her head, just screamed at me that I wasn’t listening… I thought she’d actually gone insane.” He mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What made you believe her?” Derek asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jason whispered. “I heard whispers on his baby monitor, I went into his room… there was this figure hovering over his cradle, and Spencer was crying. I was about to run forward but everything in the room turned blue, for a second I thought I was dreaming but then I realized it was Spencer doing those things. The other creature fled and I woke up my wife… we ran.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Other anomalies are drawn to him?” Derek asked, and the older man nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The less human ones. The ones that were… darker. We ran from them more often than we ran from Miller and the rest of the Foundation.” Gideon explained, and then stared at Spencer’s sleeping form for a while longer. “I’ll take him away tomorrow, we’ll go on the run again, they shouldn’t bother you anymore once he’s-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gideon, no!” Derek interrupted, a little too loud and JJ stirred a bit, but she didn’t wake up. Jason looked at Morgan with a look of shock, but the man continued. “I found him in the bitter cold, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’d help him, I can’t just back out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Derek, you don’t know the extent that this goes. This is too dangerous-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For one man to handle alone.” Derek cut him off with the truth. “We’re a family, we’ve always been a family. Why do you think JJ or Hotch didn’t run out in horror the second they realized that this kid is some sort of anomaly? Or even Garcia? You think they weren’t scared shitless? But you’re our family, and he’s your </span>
  <em>
    <span>son. </span>
  </em>
  <span>So that makes him our family too, got it?” He asked seriously, and Gideon just looked at him, unable to find the words. So finally the man just went back to watching his team rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s taken quite a liking to you.” Gideon finally managed and Derek shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He feels safe with me I guess, I mean he was so lost that first night he had no other choice but to trust me. He would have died out there in the cold.” Morgan explained, very matter-of-factly, but Gideon didn’t look pleased by this tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be careful… he doesn’t understand others, the way the world works, he’s never… just be careful.” Gideon finally decided on saying. And Morgan seemed confused by this cryptic request, like Gideon knew something Derek didn’t. But he wasn’t sure, so he just nodded and fell asleep on the floor, staying close to Spencer.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Rough Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The team gets started on a plan, but things go awry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“If we’re going to stand a chance against Miller and his goons we need some kind of protection.” JJ pondered. The group had woken up and only took a minute to get some coffee before Gideon said they needed a plan. They couldn’t stay in the apartment for long, Miller was alway looking. But luckily Derek had access to a number of homes he was refurbishing, one of which was close enough to get to quickly, and was mostly furnished so the group could stay comfortably for a while. Now the group of six was sitting around a table in Derek’s newly modeled project home. “How did you stay away from him so long?” She looked up at the older man and he rubbed his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well we moved around a lot. But more than that, just like Miller had trackers and used anomalous sources to find us… Spencer could use them to stay hidden. He’s extremely powerful, but he can’t control his powers. They operate on instinct and if he feels threatened he’ll be able to hide, but it’s not always enough.” He tried his best to explain it, but Spencer’s capabilities were so strange, even to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then he’s gotta learn to use them.” Derek stated simply. And Gideon tensed up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Absolutely not.” He insisted, and Derek looked at him confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not? You said yourself he’s one of the most powerful entities Miller’s come by. And if he can defend himself-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Gideon snapped. “We’ll have to protect him ourselves.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re being unreasonable-” Derek started but Gideon turned to him with fury in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re being heartless!” He screamed, and the entire table fell silent. “His powers are dangerous, not just for those around him but for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> They take something out of him, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He gets headaches and his eyes and nose bleed…” Gideon put his head on his hand for a minute and took a breath. Before Derek could retort the senior agent looked up slowly. “I will not have my little boy get hurt by some stupid training to protect us. He was the one in that prison his whole life… tortured… He’s been through enough, he’ll never have to use them again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Derek sat at his couch watching the game, trying to ignore the anomaly on the ground in front of him, hoping he’d warm up quicker if he was given some space. I wasn’t until Derek saw something moving around out of the corner of his eye that he looked over. His dog Clooney was looking in amazement and biting at one of his favorite dog toys, and Spencer was sitting in front of him, levitating the toy in front of the dog’s face and letting him try to chomp at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Playing with Clooney, Pretty boy/” Derek asked, and the young man looked up at him with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your dog is cute.” Spencer said. “I was afraid of him at first because I’d never seen a dog before. But I’m not anymore.” He stated simply, and Derek smiled. He’d learned that Spencer had a specific speech pattern. He said what he meant and shared the entirety of everything he was talking about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, he’s a good boy.” Derek told him, and Spencer kept levitating the toy. “Does that hurt you at all?” Morgan asked, gesturing to the floating toy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have a headache, I might stop soon. But it feels worse when I don't do it.” He explained, and Derek seemed confused before he asked Spencer what he meant. “Well… it’s like this thing inside me… this power that keeps building, and the more I try to contain it the stronger I get. And then those surges happen, and they’re so dangerous.” Spencer got a look of guilt and shame. “And they hurt so bad, everything bleeds and my head starts pounding and… sometimes I fall asleep and get these really vivid night terrors. And I feel weak… it’s easier to just do quiet things I can control, to keep myself mellowed out. But it can’t work forever. I can only control so much until it gets to be too much. But these little exercises help sometimes, even if it gives me a headache or a nosebleed.” Spencer let out a long breath and let the dog toy drop, he seemed tired and rubbed his head with a pained look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, come sit with me, I have something that might help.” Derek told him, and Spencer climbed onto the couch. Spencer positioned himself by Derek and the older man turned the anomaly’s back to him, He then put his arms up and very gently combed his nails over Spencer’s scalp and moved up to rub his temples. Spencer let out a little content sigh and Morgan smiled a bit at the fact that he helped the boy feel better. “Does that feel any better?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Spencer mumbled, barely over a whisper. “Thanks for being so nice to me.” He whispered, turning around once his headache felt tolerable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what friends are for, I told you the night we met I wasn’t gonna hurt you.” Derek told him, and then noticed Spencer had put his hand over Derek’s own. The older man laughed, assuming the younger needed comfort after all he’s been through. “What are you doing?” He asked with a small chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holding your hand.” Spencer stated it like it was the most obvious thing in the room. “Did you know the average handshake transmits enough bacteria and germs that it’d actually be safer just to kiss?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. And this made Derek burst out laughing, and in turn Spencer started laughing as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled, and went back to watching the game, this time with Spencer watching with him. After a moment he noticed the way the players were throwing the ball back and forth and he seemed to catch on to the game rules. Morgan was learning quickly how terrifyingly smart Spencer was, and he wondered if it had to do with the capacity of his brain to hold so much power… or maybe Spencer was just special.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wanna see a trick I learned?” Spencer asked, giving him a lopsided grin, and Derek leaned forward in anticipation. Spencer rubbed his hands together quickly, like he was trying to gain some static, a few visible sparks came from his hands before Spencer put both hands on his cheeks-- then his hair puffed out in the most comical way. He looked like a cartoon character that had just put a fork in an electric socket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Derek burst out laughing, touching his head and getting a small static shock. “You look ridiculous.” He teased, making the anomaly laugh. Spencer put his hands together, and when he pulled them apart there was a little ball of light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite color?” Spencer asked, he seemed to be concentrating very hard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, green.” Derek decided, and Spencer made a little struggling noise as the orb flicked into a glowing green, before burning out completely. Spencer put his hands down and caught his breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I lost it.” He grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was really pretty, I liked it.” Derek confessed. He wasn’t someone who normally referred to things as pretty, but when he said so Spencer’s face lit up and he seemed so thrilled, that Derek knew he said the right thing. The boy was less clueless than he was two days ago, or maybe he never was that clueless, he was just traumatized and disconnected. Derek wasn’t sure how his mind would cope if he was forced to go through everything Spencer had. Something Spencer said when they first talked had really stuck with him. The doctors in the foundation would perform surgery on him and keep him awake through it to pry him with questions. Derek had to look away when he heard that. And that was just one of the things Spencer could muster the courage to tell them, who knows what else he went through.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the longer he was in the safety of his new friends, the more his true colors were showing. He was kind, creative, smart and loved to read. Not the terrified animalistic thing that Derek had initially seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, what are you doing?” A vice came from behind them as Gideon rushed into the room. Spencer turned and smiled at his father, who he’d been growing closer and closer to in just the two days they’ve been reconnected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dad, I was just showing Derek a new trick-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need to do that anymore, nobody will ever make you use your powers ever again.” Gideon said way too quickly, grabbing Spencer’s face in his hands and noting a small speck of blood under his nose. “Did you notice he was bleeding?!” Giedoen demanded, but before Derek could answer he took Spencer by the hands and led his son away with a gentle, steady hand. Like he was so fragile a firm grip would kill him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did Morgan tell you to use your powers?” Gideon asked, when Spencer was led away. And his son looked at him curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I wanted to show him my lights. He said his favorite color was green. Dad! What’s your favorite color?” Spencer asked excitedly, starting off with a white orb of light, but his father grabbed his hands and pushed them together to keep him from going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, listen to me. I don’t want you to do this anymore. You’re not Miller’s prisoner anymore, and you don’t have to be a tool or weapon for anybody.” Spencer looked like he was about to say something but before he could, Gideon pulled him into a tight hug. “I will never ever let anybody take you away or use you ever again, but you have to promise to be careful so I can help you, okay?” He asked, and Spencer threw his arms around his dad, feeling truly loved for the first time ever. He had a vague memory of what this feeling was like, but he was so young when it was all taken away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do you think?” Spencer asked, twirling around and throwing his arms out, proudly showing Derek what he had accomplished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… covered yourself in tinfoil.” Derek noted, unsure of what exactly to say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lead-lined tinfoil!” Spencer explained proudly, adjusting his hand and the gloves he’d stuffed with the same tinfoil. “No energy should be able to get through, or at least it'll slow it down to act like a buffer. So I have time to get away before it becomes really bad!!” He flapped his hands excitedly. “And with my forehead and fingertips blocked, I won’t make things float and explode. Don’t you like it?” Spencer asked, putting his arms out so Derek could get a good look at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does… does it hurt at all?” He couldn’t help but ask, it looked incredibly scratchy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine.” Reid assured, before looking upset. “Why? Do you think it looks bad?” Insecurity spread across his face and Derek quickly shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, of course not.” He promised, noticing Spencer relax the tiniest bit. “If this is what makes you feel comfortable, then you look better than ever pretty boy.” Derek promised. Spencer smiled, but it was short lived when he felt something else, something new. A new feeling in his chest that felt like it was about to bubble over, and if he opened his mouth all that would come out was a laugh. It felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>good. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it also felt powerful, and with powerful emotions came powerful surges, and Spencer knew he had to get away and calm down. “Let’s not test our luck.” he stated, stepping backwards. “But I-” Before he could finish his sentence a current literally swept Derek off his feet. Causing him to crash to the floor, hard. “DEREK!” Spencer cried, moving to help him up, but his movement just caused the floor to crumble beneath them-- and the next thing Spencer knew the two of them were in Dereks basement, surrounded by rubble. Morgan groaned and rubbed his head, sitting up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spence, are you okay?” He quickly asked, realizing what had happened. But Spencer was backing away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I-I’m sorry…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not okay! I broke your house! Y-you just remodeled it and I ruined it!” Spencer grew more and more upset as pieces of rubble floated around him. He let out a yelp when he noticed the floating and he quickly tucked his hands under his armpits after pulling the foil hat back over his forehead, but it did little to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Derek spoke, in a tone so sincere that Spencer couldn’t help but look up. “But the whole floor caved in, we gotta get out of here before any more falls on us, okay?” He spoke gently but urgently, taking Spencer’s hand despite the initial struggle and pulled him outside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once outside Spencer cringed when he heard more rubble fall from inside. The rest of the group came running out quickly, as a wall caved in from all the damage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?!” Hotch cried in shock. But he calmed down when he saw Spencer's mortified expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ruined everything…” He mumbled, and flinched when Hotch put a hand on his shoulder, shrugging it away and backing away from the group. “You shouldn’t be around me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, honey bee, it’s okay.” Garcia tried, putting on her friendliest smile, but Spencer kept shaking his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, no… you’ve made a mistake I… I shouldn’t put you all in danger I… I have to go!” And Spencer dashed off, running as fast as he could in the direction of the woods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer, wait! Come back!” Gideon called, before taking off after him with Derek following close at his tail. “I told you using his powers was a bad idea!” Gideon snapped, and Derek nearly growled at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me! This only happened because you told him to suppress all of it and he covered himself in damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>tinfoil! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He got so freaked out by himself that he ended up taking down a house! And he wasn’t even trying that time, we have to find him before a real surge starts and he tears this forest to shreds.” Derek demanded, pulling Gideon forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait… how do you know that?” Gideon asked, not stopping his running.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He told me. He said when he tried suppressing his powers it made them worse, I wasn’t trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>use him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I was trying to help him feel more comfortable with his own abilities.” Derek explained, and Gideon ran a hand over his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so stupid.” He mumbled, realizing it all made sense. “I’ll worry about making it up to you two later, right now we have to find him.” He decided, before noting a trail of singed trees. “This way.” And the two men followed it to where it stopped by a small caved in hole of rock under a fallen tree, there were shreds of tinfoil by the entrance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer?” Derek called gently, poking his head in and seeing the little anomaly curled up in a  tiny ball in the dirt. “Hey, come on out of the dirt, Pretty boy.” Morgan urged, and Gideon noted the use of the nickname, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to stay away from me.” Spencer whimpered, and it was obvious he’d been crying, a current surrounding him caused leaves and pebbles to circle him like a small twister. He was going to lose control soon if he didn’t get a grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer you didn’t do anything wrong, at least nothing you could control.” Gideon assured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and all your friends… you dropped everything to help and protect me… and I can’t do anything to make it up to you. All I can do is hurt you… that’s why Miller kept me locked up in those cells with the metals wall, and put those shackles on my hands.” Spencer balled his hands up into fists like he was miming how he'd be chained up. “I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>my fault. </span>
  </em>
  <span>If I had listened and used my powers when the doctors told me to, and stayed calm when I was ordered… I never would have gotten myself into so much trouble. They had no choice but to shock me into surging… I’m a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster. A bad monster. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Just like #616, and #459.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Derek had no clue which anomaly’s Spencer was talking about, but judging by the context, he assumed they were some of the more evil and aggressive one’s Gideon had told him about. “No, no Spencer. This is all my fault, I was so scared of you getting hurt or being taken again that I convinced you to be afraid of yourself, and all it did was make things worse.” Gideon started, crawling a little closer. Spencer looked up with misty eyes, his gaze floating over to Derek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our team has dealt with real monsters in the past. People who’ve wanted to hurt and kill, and you’re not one of them.” Derek promised, with a determined expression. “Come on, we’ve seen some real bad shit, dude. You think we can’t handle a little bit of collateral damage? I think I should be offended.” Morgan huffed, and to his joy he made Spencer smile, and give a little laugh. His shoulders seemed to relax and anything that was floating stopped as Spencer crawled out of his little hideaway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have another refurbished home, it’s mostly brick and steel supports. It’s really old, not done fixing it up yet, but it's surrounded by a few acres of unkempt brush and land.” Derek explained, earning a nod from Gideon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like the perfect base for a hideaway. Me, Spencer and Garcia will go set up shop. I’ll have her set up computer monitors so we can keep track of any possible bugs or other technological ways of tracking. You and Hoth take and others and get anything we might need to stay there for the long haul.” Gideon explained, and the two younger men nodded at him, getting up to leave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Derek could follow Spencer's track back to the destroyed house, Gideon put a hand on his shoulder. “So… Pretty boy, huh?” He asked, and Derek couldn’t help but blush. How long had he been calling Spencer that? He was about to make some kind of comment but Gideon stopped him with his hand up. “Just remember to be careful, he’s new to our world.” The older man decided on saying, and followed his son. He had to show trust if he didn’t want to lose his boy again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was really unsure of this chapter and it took me a long time to write so I'd really appreciate comments if you guys have the time! It really motivates me to write and stuff and i always love hearing your opinions!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Findings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Spencer has a nightmare about his childhood in the facility, only to wake up with his new found family, but is he really free from past? Also this chapter features Happy Hotch because this mans needs to laugh more</p>
<p>let me know what you think! Comments mean the world to me!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“SCP 118, testing phase 36, trial one. 118, can you hear me?” A voice echoed across the white room. Spencer wiped his wet eyes and tried looking around, but like each time before there was no way of telling where the voice was coming from. The helmet on his head hurt, and the knife they’d used to cut his hair and attach the wires had nicked his skin.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please let me go back to my room.” He begged, wiping his eyes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“118, please approach the board.” The voice commanded. The board had advanced equations on it, ones Spencer liked to do for fun, but when they noticed that they made them harder and made him do them faster. And when he got them wrong the helmet would shock him and prick his skin. They kept saying they were measuring. What were they measuring?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“118 shows resistance and agitation, level four.” The voice said, and shock ripped through Spencer’s body. “118, approach the board.” The voice repeated. Spencer tried to catch his breath, coughing up blood from the increasingly higher voltage before stumbling forward to the touch screen board. But math wasn’t fun this time. He was so tired, and hungry, that when he looked at the board and the equations started flooding his brain and forcing thoughts on him he cried out, overwhelmed and exhausted.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What do you see?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I see answers… they move in my head… please it hurts…” Spencer sniffled a little before another shock ripped through his body.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Place them on the board.” The voice commanded. He tried to drag his finger across the touch screen. But his fingers were so cold and shaky the touch screen wasn’t registering them. Another shock. “Write them on the board.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I-I-I’m trying I-” Another shock cut him off, this time the voltage was increased significantly. This time it triggered a flashback, he was on an operating table, he tried to move and he realized he wasn’t in his own body. His arms were long and discolored. Spencer came out of it with a yelp and another shock. “Our scanners indicated another scene you’ve received telepathically, who’s eyes were you seeing from?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know!” Another shock.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“118 you’re not permitted to teleproject during testing. Complete the equation.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I didn’t try to, it was an accident-” Another shock. “P-p-please st-stop-” Another. “I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER!” This time the shock wasn’t brief, it held out long enough to throw him to the floor and leave him seizing there.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer sat up in his bed screaming, loud enough to wake the whole house. Derek’s eyes flew open and he wasn't even fully awake before his feet were on the ground and he was running down the hall to the last room on the left. The door had been ripped from its hinges and Derek gasped when he saw Spencer curled up in a ball on the bed. His eyes were glowing bright blue behind his eyelids and everything in the room was floating, they seemed to be retaining more and more energy before they simply exploded in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer! Spencer, wake up!” Derek cied, pushing past the psychic obstacles and grabbing the young anomaly by his shoulder shaking him lightly. “Spencer please wake up.” He begged. Spencer blinked a few times, his eyes glowing bright blue and those same big gooey, glowing tears Derek saw the first night he found him were dripping down his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re safe, you’re safe wake up. Please, pretty boy, wake up.” He begged, lowering his voice when the items in the room stopped glowing and dropped down one at a time. Spencer was still hyperventilating, but eventually his eyes dimmed, the blue leaving and giving way to regular, human looking brown eyes. “There you are, there you are.” Derek held Spencer’s hand as his breathing evened out. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead blood started pouring from his eyes and nose, his eyes rolled back into his head and Spencer blacked out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morgan, what the hell happened?” Derek turned to see Hotch in the door to the bedroom, Garcia and Gideon behind him sharing concerned expressions. And it was likely JJ and Prentiss were close in suit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He… I think he had a nightmare.” Derek explained. And Garcia’s face filled with tears and compassion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh poor baby!” She cried, running forward and moving Derek away from the little anomaly. “Derek, go get a warm rag so I can clean the blood up from his face, hopefully he gets some peaceful sleep, you poor sweet little angel-bug.” She cooed, pushing the hair from the boy’s face, Derek nodded and left the room to get what she requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once in the bathroom he took a minute to splash some water on his face and just stare in the mirror. What the hell was he getting himself into?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know my original statement still stands.” Gideon spoke, making Derek jump. “If this is too much, I can still take Spencer away, and you guys can go back to your normal lives.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gideon, no.” Derek forced. “It’s a lot to process, and a lot to get used to but I’m not jumping ship.” He promised, and took the rag back to Garcia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’s he doing?” Hotch asked, kneeling down next to the boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The bleeding stopped from his nose but his eyes are still going.” Garcia stressed. Gideon grimaced at this but still kept his composure and nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’ll  be okay, he used to bleed for hours at a time.” Gideon admitted, closing his eyes for a moment. JJ and Prentiss were in the room too now, and they seemed concerned, but also a bit of curiosity decorated their faces. “You guys go back to bed, I’ll stay with him.” Gideon told them, and the room slowly cleared out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Save for one agent who hung awkwardly by the door. “Derek, go to bed, I can watch him.” Gideon repeated, but the younger man just sat at the small desk chair beside the bed and shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no… I uhm… it’d be better if we took shifts, you know, both stayed… for his protection.” Morgan finally decided on, and Gideon gave a short laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure… that’s what it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning the team talked a little bit over coffee. “The door was blasted off his hinges, are you sure trying to teach him to use his power is a good idea?” Prentiss recalled. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to approach somebody with this kind of power with some caution.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s either that or have him go through night terrors like that each night.” Hotch countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tried to get him to suppress himself, it makes it stronger.” Gideon recalled. “Derek was right, the only way we stand a chance against any of this is if we help him use his powers to protect himself and us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry did you just say that Derek was right?” JJ asked, earning a few laughs from around the table</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One time doesn’t count.” Gideon told her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you did say he was right.” Hotch dared to push further with a smile, and the older man just narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you trying to get on my bad side?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The laughter at the table after that last comment fizzled out, and Derek noticed a figure in the door, making him smile brightly. “Pretty boy! Good to see you up and about, want some extra sugary coffee?” Morgan offered, pouring far too much sugar in a cup and setting it out by the seat next to him. Spencer’s face lit up and he made his way over swiftly, sitting down and taking tentative sips. “You gave us a bit of a scare last night.” He confessed, and Spencer stilled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” He spoke, and Garcia shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got nothing to worry about, sugar. In our line of work we all get nightmares.” She comforted, and then noticed Spencer was giving her a confused look. “What is it, honey?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you calling me food?” Spencer finally asked, and Hotch nearly choked on his coffee laughing at the monotone way the anomaly asked that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just giving you some pet names.” She explained, but the boy still didn’t seem to understand. “Just nice nicknames, to show affection.” Penelope continued, and Spencer started laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>nick-name. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Just like ‘pretty boy!’” He grinned, and Derek took a sip of coffee hoping to hide his blushing face. “I thought just Derek was supposed to do that, but you do too.” Spencer clapped his hands together happily, he seemed to be excited by learning. “You’re all so funny. I love people.” He started laughing, earning kind smiles from around the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hungry?” Gideon asked, and Spencer just stared at him for a moment. He took the bowl of fruit Gideon offered tentatively and slowly took one bite. Derek watched him closely and noted how when he took a bite, he flinched a bit, like he was expecting a blow that never came.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should go out today and get supplies, food and anything else we might need.” Hotch explained, and Spencer perked up at this mention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Going out? Can I come?” He asked, and Gideon tensed up, before shaking his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… not a good idea Spencer. Even without people tracking you, you stand out and we don’t want to call attention to ourselves.” He broke the news and Spencer clasped his hands together in a begging fashion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, I’ll stay quiet and I won’t leave mister Hotchner’s side. I just want to see the sky again, I’ve only seen it a few times before and it’s finally sunny today.” Spencer’s eyes widened in a mesmerized fashion as he gazed out the window. It was such an innocent, small request, Gideon felt practically evil denying it. But he had to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s too dangerous.” He told his son, feeling broken as his shoulders deflated and he looked resigned at his bowl of fruit. The table fell quiet after that, mostly feeling sorrow for the young boy who was hurt so much in his short time alive. And now he was finally free of his prison, only to be shoved back into another one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… we need to begin seeing what you’re capable of.” Hotch started, using his ‘unit chief’ voice that had a commanding tone. “And it will be safer to do so if we take you somewhere free of collateral damage. So you will </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> go into town.” He insisted, making Spencer frown. “However, today Derek will take you into the woods surrounding the house, and you’ll show him everything you know.” Hotch directed, and a giant smile bloomed across Spencer’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Yes that’d be wonderful! The woods I’ve never seen the woods before, I’m going to touch a tree!” Spencer was talking extremely fast and getting gradually louder, before he jumped up and darted off back to his assigned room, likely to prepare himself for the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s never been outside before, save the time he was running for his life… and the first thing he wants to do… is touch a tree.” Prentiss spoke slowly, trying to unpack all that. The team sat in silence for a second before laughter broke out from the head of the table. The group glanced up surprised to see their leader practically dying laughing, in a way they’d never seen Hotch laugh before. Like near tears type laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhh… you okay there, boss man?” Garcia asked slowly, confused by the outburst. And Hotch nodded, composing himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… this kid just makes me laugh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Northeastern pine! And that’s a cherrywood… and </span>
  <span>Strongylodon Macrobotrys!” Spencer dove on his knees and looked at the little blue flowers that littered the ground. “These are rare; they grow approximately in 26% less areas with a 54% less success rate than others of their breed.” He began poking the vine-like flower as Derek laughed lightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s interesting, pretty boy, but we should really get started… with…” Derek trailed off when he glanced over to Spencer, he was digging his fingers into the dirt and moving them around a little. And as he did, flowers began to grow. The same flowers that he was fascinated by before. “How are you doing that?” He asked, and Spencer shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno… I’ve never done it before.” He admitted, smiling big and crooked. “But it… it feels nice.” Spencer’s gaze trailed up to Derek’s face, and he quickly looked away, feeling that same bubbly feeling as he did before when he destroyed the first safe house. “I… do you like it?” He asked eagerly, and Derek looked confused. Spencer’s face flushed red and he pulled his hands from the dirt. “It’s just… you said before you liked my lights, do you like this too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah totally, it's great.” Derek told him, and the anomaly’s face lit up. He placed his hand back on the dirt and more flowers grew, this time bigger and more brilliant and bright colored. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, pretty boy, there’s a clearing a few miles out, we should get further from the safe house before we do anything that might call attention to us.” Derek encouraged and the duo made their way off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve looked everywhere there’s nothing.” A man in a white coat reported, but Miller wasn’t paying attention, he was staring at a patch of flowers by a pine tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Strongylodon Macrobotrys.” He mumbled. “They're rare and have a low grow rate…. So what are the chances they’d grow so big in such a tepid climate?” He asked a woman who was with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are lot of reasons flowers grow, we’ve never had reason to believe that Spencer-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“118 is capable of things we’ve never even seen before, Dr. Gala.” Miller snapped. He ripped some of the flowers out of the ground and put them in a labeled bag. “Fan out and explore the area. Gala, take the D-class personnel and back track. Find anywhere that shows signs of 118 having been previously. We may be able to use it to track it.” He said, before taking the rest of the team and heading off in the opposite direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Gala cleared her throat a bit and motioned for the two men to follow her. They made it out of the woods and a few miles past town with no luck, until a structure on the corner of a residential street caught her eye. The walls appeared to be caved in in a manner that no natural instance could have occurred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dr. Gala?” One men asked, and she shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s nothing here, report back to Miller. I’ll catch up with you.” She instructed, and the two men gave her a nod and swept out, she waited till they were a distance away, before walking towards the house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opening the door was tricky, as everything was broken and it was blocked by some rubble. But when she saw the inside she gasped. Cracks going in lining streaked shapes littered the walls and what was left of the floor, and a giant hole that revealed the basement and falled rubble was in the interior of the house. Gala got down on her knees and ran her hand over some of the debris. It was still warm, almost hot. Radiation. “Oh Spencer… Please be far away from here.” She whispered, before making back to the woods quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she made it back to Miller and the rest of the group he was still interested in those stupid flowers. Making comments about 118’s abilities and accusinboy of ‘holding out on him’. She’d beaten her men there, but didn’t think anything of it for now. “Dr. Gala where have you been?” Miller demanded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was trying to retrace Spen- 118’s steps, just like you asked.” She snapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything to report?” He asked her, narrowing his eyes at the woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing. No indication he was anywhere near here.” Gala lied. “We should pack it up and back to the facility. You know in times of distress he’s shown the ability teleport, he could be anywhere on the planet by now. We’ll never find him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s only been able to teleport a few feet at a time with constant physical application.” Miller interrupted. And Gala winced, physical application was his nice way of saying being shocked, hit or stabbed. “It seems you’d do anything for us to just drop this mission. But a keter class entity is on the loose-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spencer is euclid.” Gala insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a rogue with the power to destroy planets, and now he’s escaped. As far as I’m concerned he’s in the most dangerous categorization we’ve come to know.” Miller hissed, and their conversation was cut short by the two men Gala had been sent to scout with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where have you men been? I sent you back to the alpha team hours ago.” She growled at them. The men gave her a brief solute before one of them spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were on our way, Dr. Gala, but we found something interesting. There was a house in the lower part of downtown, completely destroyed. With the same destruction pattern as 118’s previous meltdowns. The rubble gave off high levels of neutralized radiation.” He explained, and Miller didn’t miss Gala curse under her breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good work men, let’s move there and see what else we can find.” He instructed, and as his team fanned out, he grabbed Dr. Gala by the wrist. “Now I know you’ve been lying to me, Gala.” He spoke ominously calm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She refused to make eye contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, you’re the most accomplished scientist in foundation history, you don’t miss important details like this. I know you better.” He insisted, and she ripped her hand away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well maybe you just don’t know your team as well as you think you do.” She clipped, and moved out. “That destroyed house is a clear sign of a power surge that could have even teleported him off planet. You’ll never find him.” She was smiling now, and the grin didn’t leave her face even as Miller gave her a sharp slap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d sooner let our most dangerous class entities devour me alive before letting a single anomaly escape from my custody.” He hissed, and Gala just kept her smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we’ll get right on throwing you in the gator tank… cause Spencer’s long gone.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading review if you've got the chance!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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